Wild Camping At KaKhulu Karoo

August 24, 2022 Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Like everyone else, I love a riddle, or a lekker ou skinder, but this visit left me with more questions than answers.

The ninety-minute drive from Graaff Reinet on the Janzenville road was lovely, with breathtaking views of a rugged Karoo landscape carpeted in deep orange. Aloes were in vibrant full bloom; the sun was shining, and every plant was gloriously putting on a show.

As instructed, we made a left turn on the Pearston road. We made good time and soon stood with our engine rumbling at the imposing gates of KaKhulu Karoo Game Farm.

“kaKhulu Karoo is located on a privately-owned game reserve, iSanti, that forms part of the magnificent Great Karoo. The vast 20 100 hectares of rugged terrain is home to a variety of wildlife and birdlife, including the Big Five, and is one of South Africa’s most unique plant biomes. The land is ancient and historically significant, whispering legendary tales on the hot, dry winds.” From the website.

Warren, the guide, and his partner Paula met us en route to reception and guided us to our wild campsite on the banks of a large dam. We set up in no time, the awning was rolled out, and our tables and chairs were set up. We were ready to spend two nights doing nothing except take Warren up on his offer to accompany him on a game-keeping drive. He checks weekly to ensure the pride of lions is hunting and in good condition.

While sitting there, a drink in our hands, watching four Gemsbok navigating the rocky slopes of a koppie, we wondered about the owner of this spectacular piece of land. I am no genius nor a property mogul. Still, it was blatantly clear that the vast tract of land, infrastructure, and game, including elephant, giraffe, lions, cheetah, leopard (they’re in the mountains), zebra and a wide range of antelope species, don’t come cheap nor would an investment of this nature be made by someone who doesn’t have his heart in conservation. This project is one of epic proportions, patience, endurance and passion.

We took an afternoon stroll around the dam’s perimeter, enjoying the antics of ducks and other water birds. (I didn’t keep a log of birds spotted, unfortunately.) Being ever optimistic, I envisaged herds of antelope, giraffe, zebra and elephant coming down to drink water at sunset, which sadly never happened. Good winter rains had fallen, and there was too much water in the veld.

Butch did hear the snort of a zebra while we watched a splendid sunset and sipped our sundowners. The red knobbed Coots paddled up and down in the shallows until they found a safe spot to overnight if they ever stopped to sleep.

An early supper did the trick before it was off to bed with our books, movies and piping hot Milo. With my bedsocks on and a hot water bottle warming my toes, we pulled the duvet over our ears and settled to enjoy a cold Karoo night. Unfortunately, it didn’t get that cold, and before long, our incubator became too toasty as a hot flush came crashing down on me.

Sunshine flooded our Honey Badger; it was time for a quick coffee and rusk before Warren would arrive to pick us up for the “game drive”.

Butch and I are seldom guided on our trips into the bush, and every time we succumb to temptation and hop on the bus or game viewer, we’re blown away by the experience. The knowledge and information shared are worth every second in the back seat. Butch is free to enjoy nature and take photographs; he can relax completely and go with the flow.

We gleaned a little more of the history of the farm, the owner and his vision. Covid restrictions and travel bans have hampered international guests from coming to stay at the magnificent lodges and self-catering apartments. More than half of the staff complement was retrenched, and maintenance work fell behind schedule. The tatty windsock hangs forlornly at the airstrip, which hasn’t seen a private jet or plane for a long time.

The lions were magnificent; we found them resting after feasting on a springbok. Their hunt was successful. Exploring this game farm was a privilege that doesn’t come our way too often. The rolling mountains, sheer cliffs, and abundance of fauna and flora were overwhelming. There are forests of Spekboom, and a plant/tree with a two-meter circumference has been identified on the farm.

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Some interesting facts about this marvellous indigenous plant. The Spekboom

1. Leaves are Edible

2. Medicinal Values
Sucking a leaf to quench thirst and treat exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke.
I use crushed leaves to provide relief for blisters.
Chewing leaves can treat sore throat and mouth infections.
Juiced leaves are used as an antiseptic to soothe skin ailments such as pimples, rashes, insect stings and sunburn.
In certain areas, the stems are used to help build huts/homes. The stems are dried and used as thatch for the huts/homes roofs.
In Mozambique, breastfeeding mothers eat spekboom leaves to increase their milk supply.
During a famine, the Zulus eat the leaves raw.

3. Spekboom is a succulent that grows quickly and may be closely planted to form a hedge; it can be used as an ornamental succulent for a rockery or to check soil erosion. It makes a beautiful bonsai or an excellent pot plant. It can be grown in a large container on a sunny patio, but it must be watered occasionally.

Spekboom can be propagated from cuttings, which must be kept dry to prevent rotting.

4. It Helps to Fight Climate Change and Air Pollution

5. It is Water-wise and very resilient

6. SpekboomCan Live Up to 200 Years Old!

7. This plant is edible, high in nutrients, especially Vitamin C, and a perfect addition to a salad. It is a firm favourite in the animal kingdom, especially for elephants, kudu and black rhinos.

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Our two-day stay slipped by too soon. Wild camping in the Karoo is the ultimate treat, and being amongst wild animals is a privilege. I hope the farm’s Slovakian owner (a break dance champion and pharmacist) has an opportunity to return soon, although I doubt it. We recently learned the farm was on the market. It’s all a conundrum, especially with the war raging in Ukraine. My mind races to all sorts of scenarios and conclusions. As I pondered all these questions the thought that this might all be a rich man's folly did enter my mind. But, we appreciative that people with vision often open these spectacular places to ordinary Joe Soaps like us who can enjoy vision too. Aren’t we fortunate?

On our way out, we did spot two giraffes and a herd of Springbok. At last, we were on our way to Nieu Bethesda!

Thank you Warren and Paula for taking us on a wonderful drive, for imparting so much knowledge on us and for being a super host. We hope the lodges will be chock-a-block, fully booked soon.

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